More than a thousand academics gathered on Thursday to approve the new charter of the unified Russian Academy of Sciences, or RAN.
Out of 1,428 academy members, only 13 voted against the charter, while 3 abstained, Interfax reported.
RAN president Vladimir Fortov said that the charter was drawn up by a commission comprising representatives of the three academies in full compliance with the reform law.
The charter will be sent to the government either on Friday or Monday for consideration, Fortov said.
A reform law passed in September 2013 merged the academies of medical sciences and agricultural sciences with RAN and transferred the responsibility for managing their property to the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations.
The law's supporters said that the decision to hand over property management to the agency would free up extra time for academics to concentrate on their work, but the legislation was criticized vehemently in the scientific community amid fears that RAN would miss out on a key source of funding.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
